Increasingly, social media plays a significant role in amplifying and accelerating real-world violence. Individuals use Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets to share violent intentions, argue, and display troubling behavior, drastically increasing the likelihood of real-world violence—which often turns deadly.
To draw attention to this growing problem, the Crime Commission compiled a list of violent incidents between January 2014—August 2017, including murders, shootings, and stabbings, where social media played a critical role in amplifying conflict and foreshadowing violence.
There are undoubtedly, however, far more cases than catalogued and presented here by the Crime Commission. It is our aim to use this list as a way to not only track these incidents in order to prevent further social media-fueled violence—but also to encourage law enforcement and others to recognize and report such incidents, which we believe are woefully and dangerously underreported.
In order to prevent online content from escalating into violence we must view troubling social media posts and exchanges as warning signs and develop effective interventions that meet individuals in this new space of conflict. That is why the Crime Commission, working with New York University, developed the E-Responder program, which we launched in February 2016 with community partners. Results from the pilot show that when we interrupt violence on social media, we can prevent its escalation and reach young people for intervention.
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August 18, 2017
Kissimmee, FL
Facebook
27; 36; 45
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Murder
A 45-year-old man shot and killed two Kissimmee Police Officers ages 27 and 36. A month prior to the shooting, the Orlando Police Department intelligence unit received a report about a Facebook Live video made by the shooter in which he says while hold a gun, "If this cop comes out with his gun, I'm going to shoot me a cop...No cop is going to get [shooter's name] today." This report was shared with the Orange County (FL) Sheriff's Office, but not with other nearby law enforcement agencies, such as the Kissimmee Police Department. The shooter, a former Marine, was recently taken into custody for a mental health evaluation under Florida's Baker Act by the Osceola County (FL) Sheriff's Office.
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August 14, 2017
Bushbuckridge, South Africa
Facebook
30; 32
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Murder
A 32-year-old man shot and killed his 30-year-old estranged wife at the school where she worked and later killed himself. In the weeks prior the man posted a number of concerning Facebook status updates including how heaven was calling him and how people could push someone to a breaking point without them realizing it. The day prior to the shooting he wrote about his financial difficulties and that he was thinking about borrowing money from his family to pay for his funeral.
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July 23, 2017
Nashville, TN
Facebook
20; 37; unknown
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Murder
A 20-year-old man and his 37-year-old mother were shot and killed in their home hours after the 20-year-old posted on Facebook multiple photos of himself with large wads of cash, jewelry and shopping bags.
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July 2, 2017
Brandon, MN
Facebook
18; 20
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Assault
A 20-year-old man stabbed an 18-year-old man in the chest and arm following an argument that escalated on Facebook over a two week period. After the 18-year-old man accused the 20-year-old-man of stealing from him, the two exchanged threats over Facebook and Messenger, including the 18-year-old threatening to kill the 20-year-old and hurt his family. The 18-year-old then went over to the 20-year-old's home where they engaged in a physical altercation during which the 20-year-old pulled out a knife and stabbed the 18-year-old twice.
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June 29, 2017
Lake Worth, FL
Facebook
33; 19
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Murder
A 19-year-old man shot and killed a 33-year-old woman in her home hours after she posted on Facebook about her financial success, stating "I'm in awe of how far I've come. Fast forward to now: We overcame being homeless in 2013/2014 to reaching my six figure mark in 2015 to now making multi six figures. No matter what the road looked like, I followed my heart and stuck with it growing my business. I'm saying this to say, anyone can do it. It takes determination and consistency."
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June 26, 2017
Halstad, MN
YouTube, Twitter
19; 22
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Murder
A 22-year-old aspiring YouTube star was shot and killed by his 19-year-old girlfriend in a stunt gone wrong. Thirty minutes earlier the 19-year-old tweeted "Me and [victim's name] are probably going to shoot one of the most dangerous videos ever HIS idea not MINE ". The 22-year-old had planned the stunt, in which his girlfriend shot a .50-caliber pistol from a foot away at an encyclopedia he held in front of his chest, in hopes of getting more YouTube viewers and getting famous.
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June 25, 2017
Greeneville, TN
Facebook
Unknown
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Assault
After arguing continuously on Facebook, a man traveled to his rival's house and assaulted him and the rival's wife.
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June 25, 2017
Long Island, NY
Facebook
21; unknown
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Assault
A family feud on Facebook escalated into a physical attack in which a young 21-year-old pregnant woman was violently assaulted. The 21-year-old had jumped to the defense of her sister, who was arguing with a relative on social media, and was targeted in person the next day.
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June 25, 2017
Rock Hill, SC
Facebook
17; 20
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Murder
Two teen girls engaged in a heated argument on Facebook, eventually deciding to meet in person to fight. The fight was publicized on Facebook, causing dozens of young people to arrive to watch the girls fight. The brawl escalated into gunfire when a 25-year-old shot and killed a 17-year-old spectator and injured a 20-year-old woman.
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June 15, 2017
Richmond, VA
Facebook
18; unknown
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Murder
An 18-year-old girl and her friends used Facebook live to taunt and threaten another teen that they expected to fight in-person at a later time. Comments on the Facebook live videos included other teens asking where the fight was taking place and goading the teens on. A few hours later, someone brought a gun to the fight, killed the 18-year-old, and injured four other young people.
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June 13, 2017
Bay Minette, AL
Facebook
25; 27
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Murder
Two brother-in-laws engaged in a Facebook argument that escalated into threats, eventually leading one of the in-laws to travel to the home of the other and murder him.
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June 10, 2017
Akulivik, Quebec, Canada
Facebook
10; 19; unknown
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Murder
A 19-year-old man stabbed five people, killing three, without any apparent motive. During the time of the incident, the killer posted to Facebook, "I just don't care if I killed someone else."
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June 10, 2017
Brooklyn, NY
Facebook
14; 17; unknown
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Murder
An ongoing Facebook feud between teens escalated into a shooting in which two men ambushed a 17-year-old and a 14-year-old on their way to a deli, shooting them both. The 17-year-old died from his injuries.
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June 8, 2017
Brooklyn, NY
Facebook, YouTube
16-26
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Shooting
A dozen crew members were arrested for using Facebook, YouTube, and other social media platforms to brag about violence, taunt and threaten rivals, and organize violence towards their rivals. Their online activities resulted in at least 10 shootings in which 7 young people were injured.
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June 6, 2017
Sandy, UT
Instagram
32; 39; unknown
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Murder
A 32-year-old man shot and killed a 39-year-old woman and her son before killing himself. On his Instagram account, he stated that he had a secret relationship with the victim, and that he was angry with her for not being public about their relationship. The day before, the shooter posted threats against her to his Instagram account.
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May 30, 2017
Dauphin County, PA
Facebook
17, 30
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Shooting
A 30-year-old woman and her niece engaged in a heated Facebook argument after the niece posted a hurtful status against her mother. The two agreed to meet in person, but the teen brought five of her friends to the woman's house for support. The argument escalated, eventually resulting in the 30-year-old woman pulling out a gun and shooting the niece's 17-year-old friend, severing his spinal chord.
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May 20, 2017
College Park, MD
Facebook
22, 23
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Murder
A 22-year-old White man fatally stabbed a 23-year-old Black man in an unprovoked attack. Investigators found that the murderer belonged to, and was active on, a white-supremacist Facebook group, and believe it was part of the motive for the attack.
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May 12, 2017
Chicago, IL
Facebook
18; 24
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Murder
Two women argued and exchanged public taunts on Facebook over a man, eventually agreeing to meet to fight in person. After the public fight, which was shared in a Facebook live broadcast, one of the women, a 24-year-old, ran over the other woman, killing her.
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May 3, 2017
Brunswick County, VA
Facebook
27; 32; 35; unknown
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Assault
A taunting Facebook post sparked a massive argument between family members and a gathering, eventually escalating when two women members of the family entered their cars and proceeded to chase and injure multiple people.
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April 16, 2017
Louisville, KY
Facebook
22; 27; 28; 45
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Murder
A 28-year-old woman and her mother murdered one woman and shot another after engaging in a long Facebook argument with the victims. One of the victims exchanged taunts on Facebook with the 28-year-old before the shooting, and the pair was involved in a long argument that took place on a Facebook group page dedicated to publically airing out grievances. The page has about 500 followers.
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April 16, 2017
Youngstown, OH
Facebook
25; unknown
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Assault
A 25-year-old woman was sprayed with chemical spray and hit by a car when she met up with another woman at a gas station whom she had been previously arguing with on Facebook.
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April 16, 2017
Cleveland, OH
Facebook
37; 74
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Murder
A 37-year-old man uploaded a video of himself shooting a 74-year-old stranger to Facebook. Before the murder the shooter posted another video to Facebook about how he blamed his mother for his problems, felt suicidal, and that he wanted to "kill people." The shooter also talked about how he was tired and lost everything to gambling. After a three day chase with police, the shooter eventually took his own life.
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April 10, 2017
La Crosse, WI
Facebook
18; 19; 19; 20
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Shooting
A woman was targeted by four young men after she posted a Facebook rant that mentioned them. The five young people had been involved in a tense Facebook feud for a while before the rant was posted, leading the four men to hunt the woman down and shoot her.
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April 7, 2017
Queanbeyan, Australia
Facebook
15; 16; 29
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Murder
Two teen boys engaged in a violence crime spree that included a sexual assault, a robbery, and finally a murder--all thought to contain terrorist motivations. In the weeks before the crime spree one of the boys made a number of concerning posts related to ISIS and terrorism on his Facebook.
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April 6, 2017
Chennai, India
Facebook
29; unknown
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Murder
A 29-year-old lawyer was stabbed to death by a gang of at least five people after engaging in a heated Facebook argument with one of its members. On the victim's Facebook page, investigators found that he had taunted and threatened one of the gang members before the murder.
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March 31, 2017
Henrico County, VA
Facebook
23; 25
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Murder
A 23-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man were arguing through Facebook. Eventually, the argument became so heated that the woman stabbed and killed the man.
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March 30, 2017
Columbus, OH
Facebook
22; 23
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Shooting
A 23-year-old woman was shot by a 22-year-old woman after they met by chance in the same store. The two women had a years-long feud with each other. Before the shooting, the two women had been fighting constantly on Facebook and other social media.
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March 29, 2017
Detroit, MI
Facebook
19; 24
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Shooting
A 19-year-old woman got in an intense argument through Facebook with another woman. The 19-year-old traveled the woman's house with her gun, threatening the woman with violence. A 24-year-old woman at the house tried to calm the situation down, but was shot in the stomach by the 19-year-old.
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March 29, 2017
Mesa, AZ
Facebook
Unknown
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Shooting
Two men drew guns and shot at two other men after engaging in an argument over Facebook about a female. The argument continued online for three days before ending in the shooting.
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March 23, 2017
Norman, OK
Twitter
21
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Shooting
A 21-year-old college student opened fire on a frat house before taking his own life. The morning before the shooting-suicide, the shooter Tweeted on Twitter "...now everyone just bullies me so I guess I'm going to murder everyone how sad? Please look at my soundcloud it's all over my page." Sound Cloud is a music sharing social media platform.
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March 20, 2017
Hebron, MD
Facebook
16; 18; unknown
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Assault
Three men were inside their house when they heard banging on their door. Outside, a man and six of his friends were threatening to fight one of the men in the home because of comments he wrote on Facebook. The three men ignored the banging. However, several minutes later, one of the men left to take out the trash and was jumped by the rival group. The other two men came to his aid, but were threatened with firearms.
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March 19, 2017
Merced, CA
Facebook
24; unknown
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Murder
A Facebook feud between two women eventually led to a physical fight. A 24-year-old woman posted to her Facebook that she was at a specific location and ready to assault the other woman. After becoming injured in the fight, the 24-year-old woman got into her car and ran over the other woman multiple times, killing her.
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March 16, 2017
Grasse, France
Facebook
16; 17; 17; unknown
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Shooting
A 17-year-old boy shot 14 people in a school shooting. The teen was said to be obsessed with the Columbine Shooting in 1999. Hours before the shooting the teen posted a picture of himself wearing a clown mask and pointing a gun at the camera. The image was meant to resemble a character from an ultra-violent far-right video game. The teen also claimed on Facebook to have a Columbine High School-inspired playlist.
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March 13, 2017
Edmonton, Canada
Facebook
Unknown
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Shooting
A man was shot by local police after he was seen walking down a busy street with a rifle and threatening bystanders. The man had posted a disturbed Facebook status earlier that day, "As of this morning I quit my job ... I quit giving a shit. I have guns I been earning. I'm locked n loaded .... I have no reason to go all out 'n start killing people like i usually do. my ILLUMINATI has taken effect ' to prove my LOYALTY ima kill myself and come back. LORD OCCO ' HAIL SATAN." A few minutes later, he uploaded a video of himself rambling and showing off his rifle.
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March 8, 2017
Lubbock, TX
Facebook
20; unknown
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Murder
A 20-year-old man was shot and killed after an argument on Facebook turned into an organized brawl involving nearly 50 people. The Facebook fight stemmed between two separate friend groups. One group posted a video to Facebook of an earlier fist-fight, prompting the argument and resulting in the two groups organizing a new fight.
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March 8, 2017
Chicago, IL
Facebook
16; unknown
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Shooting
A 16-year-old boy was shot in the leg after an ongoing dispute on Facebook led to an in-person confrontation.
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March 4, 2017
St. Johns, FL
Facebook
25; 25; 25; 25
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Murder
Two friends, both 25-years-old, got into a heated argument through Facebook, leading them to organize a physical confrontation in which they shot and killed each other.
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March 3, 2017
Lakewood, WA
Facebook
15; 22
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Murder
A 22-year-old man and a teen posted threatening comments to each other on Facebook over a girl. The teen then sent the 22-year-old his GPS coordinates, taunting him to come and fight him. The man went to the location and shot at the teen from his car, killing the teen's 15-year-old friend instead.
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February 25, 2017
Trumbull County, OH
Facebook
17; 19; 20; 20; 42; 47
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Murder
An argument between six people erupted on Facebook in which a series of threats and taunts were exchanged. The fight led to a 47-year-old man shooting at the five other individuals he was arguing with, injuring three and killing two.
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February 25, 2017
Perth, Australia
Facebook
Unknown
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Murder
A man was found stabbed to death in his apartment hours after posting a Facebook status update in which he bragged about slapping a woman and told her, "I am dead to you." The murder is thought to have been part of a domestic incident involving the woman mentioned in the post.
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February 23, 2017
Centralia, IL
Facebook
23; unknown
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Assault
A 23-year-old man attacked his girlfriend inside her home after they engaged in a heated argument through Facebook.
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February 19, 2017
Clayton County, GA
Instagram
22; 23; unknown
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Shooting
An Instagram video of a woman with her toddler sparked an argument between multiple people. In the video, the woman stated that the child's father was "dead". The child's 22-year-old father went to the woman's house and argued with her. When the father left, the argument continued on Instagram until it became so heated that the woman and her friends traveled to the father's home where they shot the father and the father's 23-year-old brother.
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February 15, 2017
Del Valle, TX
Facebook
26; 26
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Murder
A 26-year-old man kidnapped and murdered his ex-girlfriend and then committed suicide. A few days before the tragedy, the shooter posted a video to Facebook of himself flashing a gun. A few minutes later, he posted to Facebook, "No more pain."
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February 14, 2017
Louisville, KY
Facebook
18; 21; 23
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Murder
An 18-year-old man posted a taunting threat in which he tagged a rival and threatened to burn his rival's family on his Facebook page. Less than an hour later the rival arrived with a friend to the 18-year-old's house and murdered him.
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January 30, 2017
Hawick, Scotland
Facebook
24; unknown
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Stabbing
A 24-year-old man became upset over comments posted under a Facebook post he had made about his late father. In response, he went to the commenter's house and stabbed him repeatedly.
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January 25, 2017
Quebec City, Canada
Facebook
27; 35-65
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Murder
A 27-year-old man murdered six and injured 19 people in a mass shooting that targeted a mosque. Before the attack, the shooter engaged in multiple online posts displaying extreme right-wing views and anti-refugee sentiments. Further, many local activists recognized the shooter as someone who consistently "trolled" on their Facebook pages, spreading his anti-Muslim rhetoric online.
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January 21, 2017
Melbourne, Australia
Facebook
10; 26; 30; 30; 30; unknown
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Murder
A 26-year-old man drove his car into a crowded shopping district, killing four people, including a 10-year-old, and injuring 20 others. The man had posted troubling posts to his Facebook in the week leading up to the attack, such as, "I know exactly how to take you DOGS down the power of knowing has revealed and i shal have GODS law re-instated." Additional posts in which he compares himself to God and promotes violence were posted in the weeks before the attack.
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January 20, 2017
Harrisburg, PA
Facebook
34; unknown
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Stabbing
A 34-year-old woman stabbed another woman after arguing with her through Facebook.
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January 20, 2017
Harrisburg, PA
Facebook
34; unknown
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Stabbing
A 34-year-old woman stabbed another woman with a kitchen knife in the arm after an argument that began on Facebook continued in person.
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January 10, 2017
Costa Mesa, CA
Instagram
18; 18; 19; 19; unknown
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Assault
An argument on Instagram started after a young man claimed a photo of prescription medication was fake. Soon after, four teenagers, including the poster of the Instagram photo, came to the young man's home where they threatened him with a handgun and assaulted him with baseball bats.
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January 3, 2017
Allen, TX
Facebook
19; 19; 20; 21; 23; unknown
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Shooting
An argument over vehicle vandalism on Facebook became a feud between a two rival groups from two different towns. The argument grew on Facebook, leading the two groups to engage in a physical brawl involving. One of the members, a 20-year-old man, shot into the crowd, seriously injuring four people.
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January 1, 2017
New Delhi, India
Facebook
Unknown
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Assault
A father assaulted a young man and the man's mother after seeing an insulting post about his daughter that the young man posted on Facebook.
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December 30, 2016
Juniata Township, PA
Facebook
23; 32
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Murder
A 32-year-old man shot and killed a 23-year-old police officer. Two weeks prior he posted that "the only good cop is a dead cop" to his Facebook page. The shooter was subsequently killed by police the following day after a brief man hunt.
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December 28, 2016
Tasmania, Australia
Facebook
26; unknown
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Stabbing
A 26-year-old woman was stabbed multiple times by two attackers, one male and one female, in her home. The attack came from the victim made an inflammatory post on her Facebook page earlier that day.
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December 26, 2016
Staten Island, NY
Facebook
26; unknown
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Murder
A 30-year-old man shot and killed a 31-year-old homeless man asking for cigarettes outside of a market. Two years prior to the incident, he posted a video on Facebook threatening beggars with gun violence, in a manner identical to the incident that resulted in the death of the victim.
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December 26, 2016
Glen Rock, PA
Facebook
1; 40
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Murder
A 40-year-old woman killed her 1-year-old son and then shot herself hours after posting a Facebook status directed at her husband: "you don't deserve to have a son, to have a legacy. Why should you have your name carried on?" The woman also added to the large status update her desire to end her life. Their bodies were discovered shortly after by police who were contacted by Facebook friends who had seen the concerning post.
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December 25, 2016
Portland, OR
Facebook
Unknown; 30; 32
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Murder/Shooting
A 30-year-old man shot and killed his wife and attempted to flee police. After a 20-mile chase, he engaged in a shoot-out with police, critically injuring an officer, and was killed in self-defense. Postings and comments on Facebook revealed that the young couple was having serious marital problems, and a few weeks before the incident, he posted a status asking if any friends had guns for sale or trade.
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December 21, 2016
Saraland, AL
Facebook
Unknown; 27
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Shooting
A 27-year-old man shot a police officer in the head after she was called to investigate a domestic disturbance. Prior to the shooting, the shooter frequently posted on Facebook about his hatred of cops and his desire to kill them.
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December 6, 2016
Medford, OR
Facebook, Snapchat
18; unknown
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Shooting
An 18-year-old boy shot into a home with seven family members after becoming enraged over a Facebook post made by someone in the home. After the shooting, he posted a picture of the shotgun onto Snapchat and bragged about the crime at school.
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December 1, 2016
Darwin, Australia
Instagram
19; unknown
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Assault
A 19-year-old man punched another man over an argument on Instagram. The victim had been posting photographs on Instagram of himself and the assailant's current girlfriend, who the victim had previously been romantically involved with. They proceeded to argue on the social media platform until the altercation turned physical during a confrontation.
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December 1, 2016
Belfast, Ireland
Facebook
26; unknown
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Shooting
Three men were shot at various times in vigilante-like attacks stemming from a Facebook page. The Facebook page shared pictures, names, and allegations directed at the men before they were shot. Comments under these posts show calls for violence, derogatory nicknames, photos of the victims' injuries, and praise for the shooting violence.
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November 28, 2016
Columbus, OH
Facebook
19; 20; 20; 20; 21; 21; 21; 23; 22; 27; 28; 29; 68
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Shooting
A 20-year-old man used his car to injure over 11 people and left many in critical condition. Just minutes before the attack, he posted a status on Facebook, foreshadowing his attack. He was shot by responding officers soon after the assault.
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November 19, 2016
Jefferson City, MO
Facebook
29; unknown
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Shooting
A 29-year-old man kidnapped, assaulted over the course of many days, and eventually shot his ex-girlfriend. The assailant had an active Facebook page where he posted many misogynistic and violent statuses for months before the incident occurred.
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November 19, 2016
Luzerne County, PA
Facebook
3; 21; 23
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Murder
A 23-year-old man shot and killed his 21-year-old ex-girlfriend, their 3-year-old child and then himself after posting a status on Facebook that he was sorry, but he "could not control [his] demons."
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November 18, 2016
Park Forest, IL
Facebook
34; 39
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Murder
A 34-year-old man shot and killed his 39-year-old roommate after the victim published disturbing allegations against the shooter on Facebook.
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November 15, 2016
Bushnell, FL
Facebook
31; unknown
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Stabbing
A 31-year-old woman severely stabbed another woman over an argument between two groups of people on Facebook.
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November 9, 2016
Jefferson City, MO
Facebook
22; 27; 27
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Murder
A 22-year-old man fatally stabbed his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend, both aged 27. In the hours before the attack he posted numerous messages alluding to violence against his ex-girlfriend. In addition, he was recently released and on parole after assaulting the same ex-girlfriend in 2015.
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November 8, 2016
Jackson, MI
Facebook
19; 26
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Murder
A 19-year-old man broke into the home of a peer who posted threats against him on Facebook. The man shot aimlessly into the house, killing a 26-year-old bystander in front of her children and husband.
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November 5, 2016
Newark, NJ
Facebook
8; 11; 23; 26
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Murder/Stabbing
A 26-year-old man fatally stabbed three victims, aged 8-, 11- and 23-years-old, and injured three others. The assailant was reportedly angry over one of the victims reposting a Facebook alert that named him as the suspect in a different crime.
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October 28, 2016
Peoria, IL
Facebook
19; 19
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Shooting
A 19-year-old man shot another 19-year-old man outside of his home. The victim had reportedly been taunting the shooter publicly on Facebook, prompting the altercation and ultimate shooting.
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October 25, 2016
Sandy, UT
Facebook
14; 16
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Shooting
A 14-year-old boy shot a 16-year-old classmate twice in the head after an argument over a girl that occurred exclusively on social media. The two had reportedly never met in person, and had been fighting publicly on Facebook. They had agreed to meet after school to fight in person, where the shooting occurred.
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October 20, 2016
Anderson, IN
Facebook
17; 18
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Murder
A 17-year-old man shot and killed an 18-year-old man after getting into an argument on Facebook. The argument was sparked by comments the shooter made under a post from the victim's girlfriend, who had posted results of an online quiz she took on Facebook.
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October 15, 2016
Perry, GA
Facebook
17; 18; 18
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Murder
Two teens, aged 17- and 18- years-old, are accused of fatally stabbing an 18-year-old former high school classmate. Both teens posted repeated public Facebook statuses fantasizing about murder and violence before the murder of their classmate.
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October 13, 2016
Shaler, PA
Facebook
40's; unknown
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Stabbing
A public argument on Facebook between brothers escalated into an in-person confrontation where one brother stabbed the other multiple times.
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October 12, 2016
Memphis, TN
Facebook
Unknown
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Shooting
Three people, one woman and two men, were shot after a fight on Facebook between neighbors led to an in-person altercation. One of the victims remains in critical condition, while the other two, a man and a woman, are in non-critical condition.
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October 6, 2016
Milwaukee, WI
Facebook
19; unknown
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Shooting
A shooter fired several gunshots into a group of people on the street after a Facebook feud turned into a physical confrontation. A 19-year-old man was struck by the gunfire.
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October 6, 2016
St. Louis, MO
Twitter
18; 33
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Murder
An 18-year-old man fatally shot a 33-year-old police officer who was responding to a disturbance call. The shooter had repeatedly threatened violence on his Twitter page for months before the shooting.
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October 4, 2016
Kent, England
Facebook
20; 20; 27
|
Murder
A 20-year-old and 27-year-old man murdered a 20-year-old autistic man after they fought on Facebook over a meme posted by the victim that was directed at a friend of the killers. The killers had also sent the victim threatening pictures through Facebook before the murder.
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October 3, 2016
Scottsville, KY
Facebook
20; 23
|
Murder
A 23-year-old man shot and killed his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend, and mother of his 7-month-old child, after he showed up drunk to their residence and an argument ensued. Hours before the shooting, he foreshadowed the murder by posting a status on Facebook, saying that he was sorry and had "been pushed to this point over..time."
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September 30, 2016
Sylacauga, AL
Facebook
17; unknown
|
Assault
A 17-year-old man used Facebook to publicize his disagreement with a recent political protest, leading to a series of death threats against him and arguments online. Soon after, the teen was assaulted in real-life following a high school football game.
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September 27, 2016
Williamsport, IN
Facebook
31; 33
|
Murder
A 33-year-old man killed his 31-year-old ex-girlfriend after a long on-again off-again relationship. They frequently engaged in public arguments on Facebook after break up's, which may have contributed to the escalation of the abusive relationship.
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September 23, 2016
Charlotte, NC
Facebook
21; 26
|
Murder
A 21-year-old shot a 26-year-old man in the head during a protest. The shooter had a long criminal history, including two charges relating to the transfer and carry of illegal firearms. A few months before the shooting, the shooter uploaded a Facebook video of himself showing his large collection of guns laid out on his bed, including the gun he would eventually use in this murder.
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September 18, 2016
Moncks Corner, SC
Facebook
21; unknown
|
Shooting
A fist fight between two men was sparked by a long running, public argument through Facebook. During the physical altercation, the violence escalated to the point where one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the other.
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September 18, 2016
San Antonio, TX
Facebook
20s; unkown
|
Stabbing
A woman was taunted through a Facebook post, and traveled to the poster's home in order to confront them about it. The woman was then stabbed by a male in the home, though it is unclear if he was the original poster, or the friend of the poster.
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September 16, 2016
Miami, FL
Instagram
Unknown
|
Shooting
Two well known rappers, who are also rivals, got into a heated argument through Instagram when one mocked the other for getting knocked out in a previous fight. After being publicly mocked on social media, the victim challenged the other rapper to a fist fight. Later, that same victim posted a video to Instagram, vaguely accepting credit for a drive by shooting targeting the taunting rapper's crew.
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September 15, 2016
Katy, TX
Instagram
4; 26
|
Murder
A 26-year-old man shot and killed his 4-year-old daughter, and then committed suicide in an effort to seek revenge against the child's mother. Hours before the murder-suicide, he posted a strange video on Instagram saying that God had come to him in his sleep and that he was "done with the game," and looked like he had been crying.
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September 14, 2016
Indianapolis, IN
Facebook
Unknown
|
Murder
Two men were murdered in a possible gang dispute. Public Facebook posts show that one of the victims was linked to a crew, and was fearful of being labeled a "snitch." A few weeks before his murder, the alleged shooter posted a picture on Facebook of himself and the victim, accusing the victim of being a snitch.
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September 13, 2016
Long Island, NY
Facebook
15; 16; 19; 19
|
Murder
Two 15- and 16-year-old girls were both brutally murdered by gang members after engaging in a social media argument with some of the gang's members. The series of Facebook arguments finally culminated in a physical fight at a high school, leading the gang members to mark the two girls for retaliation, eventually tracking them down and beating them to death with bats and machetes.
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September 9, 2016
Waikato, New Zealand
Facebook
20; unknown
|
Assault
A 20-year-old woman was arrested for assault when she attacked a teenage girl outside of the girl's high school. The physical altercation came about after the victim's friends argued on Facebook with another teen, a friend of the perpetrator. Ultimately, the arguing teens used Facebook to organize the fight.
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September 8, 2016
Jackson, MI
Facebook
19; 26
|
Murder
A 19-year-old man fought with his brother on Facebook, leading him to travel to his brother's house in order to confront him. The man shot randomly into the home, missing his intended target and killing a 26-year-old woman unknown to him.
|
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August 22, 2016
Queensland, Australia
Facebook
21; 29
|
Murder
A 29-year-old man stabbed a 21-year-old woman to death and attacked multiple other people at a hostile. Moments before the attack, the man posted to his Facebook page writing that he "believed he was a victim of international organizations" and would "die soon". Others who knew the attacker commented that his behavior had changed drastically on the day he conducted the stabbings.
|
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August 22, 2016
Chicago, IL
Facebook
29; unknown
|
Shooting
A 29-year-old man shot at police officers 45 minutes after uploading a video of himself to Facebook waving the very same gun and pointing it at the camera.
|
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August 20, 2016
Gilbert, AZ
Twitter
21; 41
|
Murder
A 21-year-old man was arrested after shooting and killing his 41-year-old roommate. The day before the killing he tweeted "I need to move out of my place before I viciously murder my roommates." In addition, the days before the murder he tweeted about how easy it was to buy a gun and how he needed bullets.
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August 18, 2016
Columbus, OH
Facebook
33; unknown
|
Shooting
A man conducted a series of drive by shootings on the anniversary of his brother's death. Before and during the different shootings, he used his Facebook to post threatening statuses about seeking revenge, and to upload photos of himself with guns.
|
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August 15, 2016
York, SC
Facebook
24; 48
|
Shooting
After a longtime, public feud on Facebook over a woman, a 28-year-old man hunted down the 24-year-old he had been fighting with online and shot him. The 24-year-old victim then fatally shot the shooter in self-defense.
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August 10, 2016
Gresham, OR
Facebook
19; 38
|
Murder
A 38-year-old white man violently and randomly attacked a 19-year-old black man and then ran him over with his car. The murderer had numerous posts to his Facebook displaying his affiliation with a white supremacist prison gang.
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August 8, 2016
Pope, MS
Facebook
unknown
|
Murder
Three people engaged in a shoot out inside of a residence over an argument stemming from a Facebook post. Two of the three individuals were injured while the other female was killed.
|
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August 7, 2016
Dangriga, Belize
Facebook
14; 24; unknown
|
Assault
Three women and a 14-year-old boy invaded a 24-year-old woman's home and attacked her after they became offended by a Facebook post the victim made about them online. The boy recorded the assault and uploaded it to Facebook.
|
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July 30, 2016
Mukilteo, WA
Instagram
19; 19; 19; 19
|
Murder
A 19-year-old boy murdered three of his peers at a house party with an assault rifle. Four days before the murder, the shooter posted to Instagram a picture of a gun with 3 bullets captioned "You can't run with me."
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July 22, 2016
Albany, NY
Facebook
20; 21; 22; 26; unknown
|
Shooting
Multiple people were arrested for their involvement in a car chase and shooting spree. The shooters and witnesses to the violence said it was sparked by disrespectful Facebook post.
|
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July 22, 2016
Hartford, CT
Twitter
31; unknown
|
Assault
A 31-year-old man went on a bizarre crime spree targeted at police, ending with him assaulting an officer. Before the attack, the man made unusual anti-police comments on Twitter where he stated that the police were trying to kill him.
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July 18, 2016
Wilmington, DE
Facebook
15; 15; 16-21
|
Murder, Shooting
Twenty-two people aged 16 to 21 were indicted in a sweeping investigation over gang-involved shootings and murders of two 15-year-old boys. During the investigation, police found that much of the violence stemmed from Facebook altercations and threats between the two warring gangs. Among these posts, many involved pictures of youth claiming gang affiliation, threatening other crews, and holding guns.
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July 17, 2016
Sulphur, LA
Facebook
59; 4
|
Murder
A 59-year-old father used Facebook to broadcast his family troubles, while also writing that he and his 4-year-old son were 'going home" and that his friends should call 911 and the coroner. After the message was posted, he murdered his son and then killed himself.
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July 15, 2016
Hornsea, England
Facebook
22; 60
|
Murder
A 22-year-old man stabbed to death a 60-year-old co-worker after she received a job that he was fired from. The man posted a meme to Facebook before the attack that said, "one day I'm just gonna say f*** it all, and let my demons out to play"
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July 8, 2016
St. Louis, MO
Facebook
20; unknown
|
Murder
A 20-year-old man was angered by the recent police shootings involving unarmed black men, and took to Facebook to vocalize his displeasure with law enforcement. Multiple people began to argue with the man over these comments, included a local police officer who is an acquaintance of the man. The 20-year-old began making threats at the officer and his family on Facebook, eventually going to his home and breaking his window. The cop eventually shot and killed the 20-year-old.
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July 7, 2016
Hammond, IN
Facebook
15; unknown
|
Murder
A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed outside his home. Individuals who knew the victim stated that the murder was a result of "Facebook beef" and that the social media fighting had been going on for a while.
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July 1, 2016
Smyrna, DE
Facebook
28; unknown
|
Shooting
A 28-year-old man shot at others after losing a physical fight with one of the victims. According to the investigation, comments posted to Facebook about the fight helped to fuel the retaliatory shooting.
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June 24, 2016
Austin, TX
Facebook
16; 18; unknown
|
Assault
A 16-year-old girl made a comment under a Facebook Live video that prompted two teens to travel to her home and physically assault her and her mother.
|
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June 12, 2016
Orlando, FL
Facebook
29; multiple
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Murder
A 29-year-old attacked a gay nightclub in Florida, killing 49 patrons before being killed by police. Before the mass shooting, the attacker ranted on Facebook, posting anti-West sentiments such as, "The real Muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west" and "You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes ... now taste the Islamic state vengeance."
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June 7, 2016
Walland, TN
Facebook
18; 18; 41; 43
|
Assault
Two women violently attacked two other women after one became caught up in a Facebook argument with one of the victims. The two women, aged 41 and 18, drove to the victims' home and assaulted them after the Facebook fight.
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May 27, 2016
Albany, NY
Twitter
24; 25
|
Shooting
A 25-year-old-man used his Twitter account to foreshadow his intent to kill a rival, and then to brag about his involvement after the shooting. The man hired two others to kill his rival, posting on Twitter the day before the shooting "Sendin my hittas." and later, "Try me and end up smoked," "See us know we mean business." After the shooting occurred, the man tweeted various brags about his involvement. The victim survived.
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May 24, 2016
Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
Facebook
Unknown
|
Murder
A man posted a series of public Facebook posts expressing his emotional distress, depression, and desire to kill himself. Finally, he posted "I can't take it anymore, MY GOD, PLEASE FORGIVE US SINNERS." That same day he murdered his wife.
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May 8, 2016
Fort Myers, FL
Facebook
21; unknown
|
Shooting
Two men traded insults through Facebook, which eventually led to a real-life shooting in which one of the men was shot twice in the back, and a friend of his was shot in the shoulder.
|
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May 7, 2016
Charlotte, NC
Twitter
19; unknown
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Murder
A 19-year-old man used Twitter to repeatedly threaten another teen, claiming that he wanted to hunt him down and kill him. A few weeks later, this same man attacked his target, repeatedly punching him. The victim then stabbed the 19-year-old in self-defense, killing him.
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May 7, 2016
Sikeston, MI
Facebook
15; unknown
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Assault
A 15-year-old girl was assaulted by six other females after arguing with them on Facebook. According to the victim, one of her attackers started the argument on Facebook until it escalated into the real world confrontation.
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April 29, 2016
Brooklyn, NY
Facebook
17; 26; 27
|
Shooting
Two women were arguing on Facebook over who had won a previous fist-fight, and agreed to meet up in person to fight a second time and have it filmed. The fight escalated as more people became involved until finally a 17-year-old—who had brought a gun—fired into the crowd, wounding four people.
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April 21, 2016
Wilmington, DE
Instagram; Twitter
26; unknown
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Murder
A 16-year-old girl was beaten and stabbed to death in a school bathroom. According to the victim's friends and news reports, the girls were arguing on Instagram, and used other social media arrange a fight in the bathroom.
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April 19, 2016
West Palm Beach, FL
Facebook
18; 24
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Murder
A 24-year-old man was arrested for the shooting death of an 18-year-old man. Witnesses say the 18-year-old was killed for talking trash about the assailant. In the week leading up to the shooting, the 24-year-old posted a picture on Facebook with him holding the gun used to shoot the victim.
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April 11, 2016
Washington, D.C.
Instagram
15; 18
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Murder
An 18-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy got into a serious argument over Instagram. When the two saw each other in the Metro station a few weeks later, the argument turned physical, and the 18-year-old man fatally stabbed a 15-year-old in the neck.
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April 10, 2016
Chicago, IL
Facebook
14; 16
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Shooting
After an individual taunted a rival crew member on Facebook about his deceased friend, the crew member went and shot his younger brother, 14, in the leg.
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April 5, 2016
Raleigh, NC
Facebook
53; 40; unknown
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Murder
A Senegalese woman noticed troubling behavior on a relative's Facebook in North Carolina and contacted authorities. By the time law enforcement got to the relative's Raleigh home to conduct a welfare check, he had murdered his wife and daughter.
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March 25, 2016
San Antonio, TX
Facebook
Unknown
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Murder
Two men were shot, with one killed, after they posted disrespectful comments about a group of boys on Facebook. The boys saw the comments and traveled to the victims' homes where they shot them.
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March 24, 2016
Sydney, Australia
Facebook
25; infant
|
Murder/Suicide
After posting a long status on Facebook about being a domestic violence victim, a 25-year-old mother killed herself and her infant child by jumping off a cliff.
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March 22, 2016
Gwinnett County, GA
Facebook
14; 21; 28
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Murder
A 14-year-old and a 21-year-old were charged with the murder of a pizza delivery boy; hours before the alleged murder, the two had posted pictures on Facebook of them holding guns.
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March 20, 2016
Melbourne, Australia
Facebook
14; 14; 34
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Assault
Two 14 -year-old girls feuded on Facebook and decided to organize a physical fight to settle the argument. The 34-year-old mother of one of the teens drove her daughter to the fight location, but became enraged at her daughter's rival and ran her over with her car.
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March 18, 2016
Richmond County, GA
Facebook
21; 18
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Murder
A fight between two high school students escalated into a massive fight involving more than 50 people. The fight escalated as people were alerted, organized and mobilized through social media. During the fight, an innocent 18-year-old was fatally stabbed. The fight originated due to "racy photos" posted on Facebook, was recorded, and disseminated online, including on the website World Star Hip Hop.
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March 17, 2016
Clare, Ireland
Facebook
19; 44; 55
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Assault
A physical altercation broke out between a 55-year old man and another man in a pub over comments one of them had made on Facebook. Following the fight, the original commenter went to the home of the 55-year-old man and slashed his head with a knife, leading to an additional assault.
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March 11, 2016
Adams, MA
Facebook
21; 24; 24
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Assault
A serious argument concerning the sale of a laptop started on Facebook between three men, escalating to the point where two of the men hunted down the 21-year-old and assaulted him repeatedly by punching and kicking him.
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March 8, 2016
Piehl, WI
Facebook
18; 37; 40
|
Murder
A day after posting on Facebook about wanting to kill her stepfather, an 18-year-old murdered both her stepfather and mother. In the past, she had also kept a blog in which she wrote graphic descriptions of murder.
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February 24, 2016
Miami, FL
Facebook
17; 18; 6
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Murder
A 6-year-old was killed in the crossfire when two older males engaged in a shootout resulting from a dispute that started on Facebook.
|
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February 23, 2016
Hesston, KS
Facebook
38; 30; 31; 44; Ages Unknown
|
Murder
A 38-year-old man shot and killed 3 people and injured 14 others in a mass shooting. His social media activities on Facebook before the shootings show countless pictures of himself with assault rifles and other guns.
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February 17, 2016
Easley, SC
Unknown
15; 17; 18; 19; 22
|
Murder
Four assailants (aged 22, 19, 18 and 15) shot and killed a 17-year-old boy outside of a bowling alley. Police believe that an argument on social media led to them meeting in person to "settle the score," resulting in the death of the victim.
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February 7, 2016
Martinsburg, WV
Facebook
19; 20
|
Murder
Two men arguing on Facebook over a woman ended up meeting in person, and during the ensuing altercation, one was fatally shot.
|
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February 3, 2016
Indianapolis, IN
Twitter
19; 18
|
Murder
A 19-year-old male fatally shot an 18-year-old male over an argument that had occurred on Twitter between the two.
|
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February 1, 2016
Miami, FL
Facebook
6; 16; 17; 18
|
Murder
A fight on Facebook between rivals escalated until they engaged in a physical shoot-out, which led to the death of a 6-year-old boy who was caught in the cross fire.
|
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January 31, 2016
Hawick, Scotland
Facebook
24; unknown
|
Stabbing
After a public argument and "falling out" on Facebook, a 24-year old man went to the home of a former friend and engaged in a physical fight and eventually stabbed the victim repeatedly.
|
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January 31, 2016
Sibley Lake, LA
Unknown
18; 18; 18; 18
|
Murder
An 18-year-old man was involved in an argument with a group of other 18-year-olds. The argument escalated through social media posts, resulting in an in-person confrontation, which ended with the fatal stabbing of the 18-year-old.
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January 27, 2016
Perth, Australia
Facebook
11; 26
|
Murder
An 11-year old boy fatally stabbed a 26-year-old man at a train station. In the years before the incident, the boy had been using Facebook to post pictures of himself holding cash and throwing American gang signs with his hands.
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January 24, 2016
North Shields, England
Facebook
24; 24
|
Murder
Two 24-year-old men had a falling out over an argument that took place on Facebook, which enraged one of the men to the point where he went to the other's home and stabbed him to death. The perpetrator had used social media to threaten violence on many of his friends after a night of drinking.
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2015
Dublin, Ireland
Facebook
16; unknown teen
|
Stabbing
A 16-year-old boy stabbed a teenage boy after a fight broke out over comments the victim made about the assailant's girlfriend publicly on Facebook.
|
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December 29, 2015
York, SC
Facebook
26; 21; Age Unknown
|
Shooting
A 26-year-old man was arrested for shooting an innocent bystander in the face. The 26-year-old attacked a 21-year-old man after he made comments on Facebook under his girlfriend's picture. The two arranged to meet and fight, but the 26-year-old brought a gun and shot at the 21-year-old, striking the bystander. Both men have been arrested.
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December 22, 2015
Long Island, NY
Facebook
21
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Shooting
A 21-year-old man fired his gun during a botched robbery in a mall. A few days before the shooting, he had uploaded a picture of the gun he used, some pills, and alcohol to his Facebook page.
|
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December 2, 2015
Auckland, New Zealand
Twitter
22; 24; 25
|
Murder/Stabbing
A 25-year-old man fatally stabbed a 24-year-old man and injured the victim's 22-year-old friend in an altercation over noise from a party the victim was hosting. The two men lived next-door to each other, and the perpetrator frequently posted angry messages on social media about his neighbor's excessive partying. He once posted on Twitter, "Rarely have I been more provoked to go on a murderous rampage."
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November 24, 2015
Gold Coast, Australia
Facebook
15; 15
|
Stabbing
A 15-year-old boy stabbed another 15-year-old boy in the stomach after getting into an argument on Facebook.
|
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November 23, 2015
Minneapolis, MN
Facebook, 4chan
21; 23; 26; 27; Ages Unknown
|
Shooting
Four men were arrested in connection to the racism-fueled shooting of five Black Lives Matter protestors. The Facebook profiles of the men show multiple posts of weapons, confederate flags, and sharing of racist content. 4chan accounts also tie one of the men to racist slurs and comments. In addition, a Facebook video showing two of the shooters in masks surfaced on Facebook before the shooting. In the video, two men talk about disrupting the protests and use racial slurs.
|
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November 20, 2015
Willmar, MN
Facebook
Aged Between 14 and 18
|
Assault
A Facebook page was set up by high school students in Minnesota in order to taunt and harass other students at the school. The posts and comments on the Facebook page led to a massive fight at school, resulting in the school briefly going on lockdown.
|
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November 20, 2015
Portland, OR
Yik Yak
26; Ages Unknown
|
Assault
A 26-year-old student at a university was violently assaulted as his attackers yelled racial slurs just days after a series of racist posts to the anonymous social media app, Yik Yak, mentioned hanging black people and a desire to #BringBackSlavery.
|
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November 7, 2015
Macon, GA
Facebook
27; Age Unknown
|
Shooting
A 27-year-old man was shot in the leg after being confronted by another man. Witnesses of the encounter stated that the shooter attacked the other man while yelling at him, "Why the **** did you put that on Facebook for?"
|
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November 3, 2015
Nashville, TN
Facebook
14; 18
|
Murder
A 14-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman were fighting on Facebook. Friends of the 14-year-old taunted the 18-year-old on her Facebook page, calling her out for not being a part of their neighborhood. The taunts were then shared by her friends online. The argument escalated to the point that the 18-year-old threatened to come fight the 14-year-old. The 18-year-old brought a gun to confront the 14-year-old, who was with her friends. Her friends attempted to convince the woman to put down the gun, but she shot and killed the 14-year-old girl.
|
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November 2, 2015
Omaha, NE
Facebook
28; Age Unknown
|
Assault
A woman was assaulted and robbed by a 28-year-old woman she had been arguing with on Facebook that morning.
|
|
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October 23, 2015
Youngstown, OH
Facebook
25; 26; 26; 28
|
Shooting
A 25-year-old male was shot multiple times in the stomach, leg, and buttocks when three individuals attacked him. Witnesses say that the attack stemmed from a Facebook post.
|
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October 16, 2015
Detroit, MI
Facebook
3; 17
|
Murder
A Facebook fight led a group of girls to travel to a 17-year-old girl's home and assault her. The assault amplified into gun violence, resulting in the 17-year-old's 3-year-old sister being shot and killed.
|
|
| |
October 13, 2015
Philadelphia, PA
Facebook
50
|
Murder
A 50-year-old male posted a picture on Facebook showing him with a large wad of cash with the caption "I misplaced $60,000. I hope my wife didn't go shopping with it." A few days later his home was broken into and he was robbed and murdered. His son stated that the picture was a joke, saying that the wad of cash was really a large stack of one-dollar bills with a few 20's on top, and was not actually $60,000.
|
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October 3, 2015
Houston, TX
Facebook
Ages Unknown
|
Assault
A man posted something offensive to his Facebook page that sparked an argument between him and his girlfriend. The man threatened to kill himself so the girlfriend called paramedics, which resulted in a 4-hour hostage situation. The man fired at officers, but was taken into custody alive.
|
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October 1, 2015
Roseburg, OR
4chan, Blog
18; 18; 18; 19; 20; 26; 33; 59; 67
|
Murder
A 26-year-old male opened fire on Umpqua Community College, killing 9 people and injuring 7 others. The day before the shooting, news outlets speculated that he posted to 4chan, "Some of you guys are alright. Don't go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest." A poster on the same website, allegedly thought to be the shooter, also voiced support of another mass murderer who killed 6 people in 2014. In the shooter's personal blog, he mentioned the fame that a recent shooter achieved after uploading a video of himself shooting a news caster, camera man, and interviewee while they were live on air.
|
|
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September 30, 2015
Aurora, IL
Facebook
16; 21; 24
|
Shooting
A 24-year-old conducted a drive by shooting after he became involved in a Facebook argument with a 21-year-old male. After arguing, the 21-year-old told the shooter to come over in order to fight over the matter physically. Witnesses say that the shooter was at the location minutes after the Facebook conversation ended, and fired several shots at the 21-year-old and a 16-year-old.
|
|
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September 30, 2015
Melbourne, Australia
Facebook
Ages Unknown
|
Assault
Two mothers, one five months pregnant, got into a physical fight on an Australian metro train. One mother claimed that the other posted a negative post on her Facebook concerning her son. A video of the fight was then posted to Facebook by a passenger on the train. Passengers moved trains to avoid getting injured in the fight, but no one attempted to stop the fight.
|
|
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September 22, 2015
Muncie, IN
Facebook
22; 30; 34
|
Shooting
A man threatened his cousin with a 9 mm pistol after a fight on Facebook. The victim stated that the other man had been following him in his car until he finally pulled over and exchanged words. The assailant told the victim that they needed to settle their Facebook feud with a physical fight. He then threatened him with the gun. After more words were exchanged, a 22-year old woman came out of the assailant's car, took his gun, and shot the victim.
|
|
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September 22, 2015
Detroit, MI
Facebook
Ages Unknown
|
Shooting
Two high school-aged boys from rival Detroit gangs got into a Facebook altercation involving a girl, eventually meeting up to settle the fight in person. As a result, two innocent bystanders were shot.
|
|
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September 16, 2015
Albuquerque, NM
Facebook
14; Ages Unknown
|
Murder
A family dove for cover after their home was sprayed with bullets. Two teens, under 18-years-old, shot the home at least 11 times after getting in an argument over Facebook comments written by a 14-year-old resident of the home about a classmate. The two boys called the home, telling the boy that they would be there in two minutes to settle the dispute "like men."
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September 12, 2015
Chicago, IL
Facebook
44; 48
|
Murder
A 44-year-old man fatally shot his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend after breaking into his home. In the days leading up to the shooting, the shooter posted increasingly jealous statuses on Facebook regarding his old girlfriend's new relationship.
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September 10, 2015
Auckland, New Zealand
Facebook
Ages Unknown
|
Assault
A group of students used Facebook to organize a fight, which involved 10-20 girls, all under 17-years-old. Approximately 40 people were present watching or joining in on the fight. The video has since been uploaded to Facebook, where it has been shared thousands of times.
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September 7, 2015
Unknown
Facebook, YouTube
Ages Unknown
|
Assault
Two women were videotaped fighting in a park, a situation that was recorded and posted to YouTube. Witnesses are seen in the video cheering them on or joking about the violence. Another witness said that the fight began over a Facebook post.
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September 6, 2015
Moss Point, MS
Facebook
25; Ages Unknown
|
Murder
A man shot and killed another man and injured two others after a Facebook fight between multiple people escalated to a physical confrontation at a car wash.
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September 6, 2015
Knoxville, TN
Facebook
36; 45
|
Murder
A 36-year-old woman shot and killed a man. Right before the shooting she re-posted a picture of her and the victim from Facebook (from the wall of a man who helped her carry out the murder) with the caption "Last pic. Will love you to the end."
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September 1, 2015
Greenfield, IN
Facebook
25; 33; 38
|
Stabbing
A 33-year-old man stabbed a 25-year-old after the victim taunted the other man's older brother in the comment section of a Facebook post. The comment spurred the man to attack the victim with three of his friends.
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September 1, 2015
Kingston, Jamaica
Facebook
Ages Unknown
|
Stabbing
A Jamaican man fatally stabbed his girlfriend after she disrespected him on Facebook. The girlfriend had found a photo of a woman he was cheating with, prompting her to shame him online. The man told authorities that he felt embarrassed by the Facebook posts, which led him into the physical fight with her, and ultimately led to her death.
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August 23, 2015
St. Gilbert, Canada
Facebook
21; unknown
|
Assault
A 21-year-old man pleaded guilty to assaulting another man with a golf club. The event took place after an inter-community fight was organized between two towns through Facebook.
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August 14, 2015
St.George, UT
Facebook
15; 18
|
Assault
An argument that began on Facebook ended with a physical fight between two teenage girls, ages 18 and 15.
|
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August 9, 2015
Ferguson, MO
Facebook
18
|
Shooting
An 18-year-old man was shot by police after engaging in gang-related gun fire. An hour prior to the shooting, he posted on Facebook, "I **** around go on [Specific Location] tonight." The man's Facebook page also includes pictures of him posing with firearms and displaying gang signs.
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August 8, 2015
Azerbaijan
Facebook
Ages Unknown
|
Murder
A group of six men attacked a journalist after he wrote a Facebook comment stating a certain footballer should be banned because of his rude gestures to a referee. The journalist called the footballer immoral and ill-bred. He was lured by the men and beaten to death.
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August 3, 2015
St. Paul, MN
Facebook
24; 26
|
Murder
A 24-year-old man shot a 26-year-old man after the two fought for months about drugs on Facebook.
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August 1, 2015
Dublin, Ireland
Facebook
15; 15
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Stabbing
A 15-year-old boy stabbed another 15-year-old boy after reacting badly to a Facebook comment made by the victim on Facebook.
|
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July 24, 2015
Bronx, NY
Facebook
16; 14; 13
|
Shooting
Two young high school students started receiving threats on Facebook after getting into a physical fight with a rival gang member. Comments included statements such as "No more fighting", and "we got to do what we got to do," meaning that it was time to take this virtual fight into the physical world. The boys used Facebook to organize a fight, which resulted in a shooting that sent both victims to the hospital.
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July 19, 2015
Belfast, Ireland
Facebook
14; 14
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Assault
Two 14-year-old girls in Belfast arranged a fight on Facebook that was seen by hundreds of people, 200 of who went to the fight location to watch the fight. Both girls have been arrested, as well as an older man who brought a weapon to the fight.
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July 18, 2015
Little Rock, AR
Facebook
16, 20
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Murder
A 20-year-old man was arrested and charged for the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old after fighting with him on Facebook and in person. The day before the shooting, the shooter updated his status on Facebook to read, "Stop Makin threats" and "You say you don't like Me [shut] up or kill me.'" Four days before the shooting the shooter posted "If You got Beef Let me Know Stop The Playing" followed by a gun emoji.
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July 18, 2015
Montgomery, AL
Facebook
14
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Shooting
A 14-year-old is suspected of a shooting at Riverfront Park. Before the shooting, someone on Facebook had posted that they were going to shoot up at the park. Police saw the post and set up surveillance, facilitating a quicker response.
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July 3, 2015
Milwaukee, WI
Facebook
15; 14
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Murder
A 14-year-old boy was shot by a 15-year-old boy over a Facebook argument regarding a female. The assailant changed his cover photo to a picture of the female the two were arguing about on the day of the shooting, which may have sparked the argument.
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June 29, 2015
Chicago, IL
Facebook
19; 20; 20; 21
|
Murder/Self-defense
A 20-year-old was fatally stabbed after she and two friends lured a gang rival they were threatening on Facebook into an alley and began assaulting him, forcing him to stab the victim in self-defense.
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June 28, 2015
Bonita Springs, FL
Facebook
25; 46
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Murder
A 25-year-old man was arrested with two other accomplices for the murder of a woman. His Facebook page, which is now deleted, shared dozens of memes about murder, how twisted he believed himself to be, and his hate for liberal ideals. In addition, the man included in his profile his nickname of "The Hammer." The woman was killed by being bludgeoned with a hammer.
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June 24, 2015
Harworth, England
Facebook
27; 44
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Murder
A 27-year-old man murdered a 44-year-old man by hitting him with his car for dating his ex-girlfriend. Right before the murder, the 27-year-old posted to his Facebook a status update tagging the victim and his former girlfriend and claimed that they have "broken me and my family apart and my boy."
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June 15, 2015
Virginia Beach, VA
Instagram, Tumblr
20; 49
|
Murder
A 20-year-old woman stabbed her mother to death following an in-person dispute. Before the murder, the woman posted pictures of the murder weapon on Instagram, and a copy of a letter found at the scene depicting a drawing of a masked woman. The posts are being used in the trial against her to show her intention to harm others and her troubling mental state.
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June 3, 2015
Brooklyn, NY
Facebook
Ages Between 17-22
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Assault
A large fight was organized through Facebook after two groups of women began fighting on Facebook. The fight resulted in two women being stabbed and six experiencing chemical burns.
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May 29, 2015
Chicago, IL
Facebook, Twitter
17; 22
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Murder
A 17-year-old boy was charged with murder after he killed a 22-year-old man over negative comments made about a slain rapper and fellow gang member on Facebook. The shooter's Twitter page includes multiple threats against rival crew members, as well as pictures of him posing with weapons.
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April 8, 2015
Schenectady, NY
Facebook
14; 17
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Shooting
A 17-year-old man was involved in a fist fight with another teen, and lost. The man became angry, traveled to his home, and retrieved a gun. He then fired into the home of the man who beat him in the fight, but shot a 14-year-old girl who was in the home instead. Later, the shooter returned to the home and threw a brick through the window after reading more taunting comments from the winner of the fist fight on Facebook.
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April 8, 2015
Tampa, FL
Instagram
19; 23
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Murder
A 19-year-old shot and killed a 23-year-old man while he rode his bicycle. The day of the shooting, the man posted to his Instagram the warning "If (anyone) Make Me Sweat, I Gotta Put 'Eem in Da Ground." A few days after the shooting, the shooter posted a picture of a gun in his lap onto Instagram with the caption "Mite be gone for a while!"
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March 28, 2015
New York, NY
Facebook
28; Age Unknown
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Assault
An off-duty school safety agent assaulted another woman, yelling that she had seen what the woman had posted on Facebook.
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March 25, 2015
Longmont, CO
Facebook
29; 30; 25
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Stabbing
Two men, ages 29 and 30, brutally stabbed another 25-year-old male during a fight that erupted following a Facebook argument between one of the attackers and the victim.
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March 15, 2015
Columbia, SC
Facebook
17; unknown
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Murder
A 17-year-old man was shot and killed during a physical fight following a taunt posted on Facebook about someone's "baby mama".
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March 9, 2015
Liverpool, England
Facebook
16; 16; 18; 18
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Stabbing
A 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the chest after being attacked by three teenagers. The motive for the crime originated from comments the victim left on Facebook. The boys had gotten in a Facebook argument over the comments the day before the stabbing. The three teenagers were sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison for charges related to the stabbing.
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February 27, 2015
Wausau, WI
Facebook
15; 13
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Murder
A 15-year-old high school student was arrested for stabbing a 13-year-old rival gang member after a fight that originated on Facebook turned into an organized in-person brawl.
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February 27, 2015
Birmingham, AL
Facebook
17; 19; 14
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Murder
A group of females — including a 14-year-old girl — that had been arguing over Facebook agreed to meet in person to fight. During the fight two boys, aged 17 and 19, shot into the crowd of females, killing the 14-year-old girl and wounding two others. A few hours before the organized fight, a friend of victim posted to her Facebook, "Wages Tonight. #Party #Rip[Nickname of One of the Girls Involved]." Multiple people used social media messaging apps to reach out to the victim, begging her not to go to the fight.
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February 17, 2015
Amarillo, TX
Facebook
18; Ages Unknown
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Stabbing
Three women engaged in a fight that sent one to the hospital with stab wounds after they had been arguing on Facebook.
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February 8, 2015
Chicago, IL
Facebook
18; 13
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Murder
Two sisters agreed to fight another female in person after arguing on Facebook for weeks. The sisters' younger brother, aged 13, came to film the fight, which was organized through Facebook. During the fight, an 18-year-old man began shooting a firearm he had, striking and killing the young boy.
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January 18, 2015
Mount Pleasant, SC
Snapchat
17; 16
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Murder
A 17-year-old boy saw a Snapchat sent to his girlfriend that made him angry enough to send threatening text messages to the sender, a 16-year-old boy. The 17-year-old then texted the boy "come over" and "I'll kill you." The victim responded to the threats and went over to the older boy's house where he was fatally stabbed.
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January 6, 2015
Hernando, MS
Facebook
19; 21
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Murder
A 19-year-old woman stabbed her 21-year-old cousin to death after an argument on Facebook over a man.
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January 1, 2015
Tamerton Foliot, England
Facebook
21; 22; 27
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Murder
A 27-year-old man was murdered at random by two men, ages 21 and 22, with an axe. Hours before the murder, the two men posed with knives in pictures uploaded to Facebook. In addition, the two men targeted the area after learning that a man one of the assailants was fighting with on Facebook would be there.
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December 20, 2014
Baltimore, MD and Brooklyn, NY
Instagram
28; 40; 32; 29
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Murder
A 28-year-old man posted on Instagram intentions to murder police officers along with pictures of guns, and blood on his clothing, and captions saying he wanted to "put wings on pigs." The same day, he traveled from Baltimore to New York City after shooting his 29-year-old ex- girlfriend in the stomach and fatally shot two NYPD officers.
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December 17, 2014
Holland, MI
Facebook
16; 19; 21
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Assault
A 19-year-old and a 16-year-old assaulted a 21-year-old man with a pickaxe, a situation that stemmed from an argument on Facebook. The men started arguing on the social media site about a former girlfriend of the victim, who was then dating one of the assailants.
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November 5, 2014
Omaha, NE
Facebook
31; 30
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Murder
Two childhood friends had been arguing and threatening each other over an ex-girlfriend on Facebook for weeks before one went to the other's house and fatally shot him. The day of the shooting the shooter changed his status to read "im waitin wit a pole behind da door i put it down and give him that over hand from hell."
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October 26, 2014
Peoria, IL
Facebook
18; 23
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Shooting
An 18-year-old man shot a 23-year-old man in the wrist in broad daylight after getting into a Facebook argument with the victim.
|
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October 24, 2014
Marysville, WA
Twitter
14; 14; 14; 14; 15
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Murder
A 14-year-old high school student posted numerous Twitter posts discussing depression, anger, and other warning signs before bringing a gun to his school and fatally shooting four other students before killing himself. His last post, the day before the shooting, said "It won't last...It'll never last..." A week before the shooting he used Twitter to post about his depression and despair over a recent break-up and rejection from another girl. Minutes before the shooting he sent a Facebook message of him posing with a gun to a friend, writing "call me before I do this."
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October 18, 2014
Riviera Beach, FL
Facebook
16; 16
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Murder
Two 16-year-old boys began arguing with two girls on Facebook, eventually arranging to meet up and fight in person. One of the two boys arranged to fight the 16-year-old brother of the two girls. However, the boy lost the fight, causing him to become angry and shoot the girls' brother in the chest, killing him.
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October 9, 2014
Duncan, OK
Facebook
19; 50; 48; 17
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Murder
A 19-year-old man murdered his parents and younger sister in order to receive their inheritance. He had allegedly been posting hateful comments regarding his family on social media for weeks prior to the shooting, which will be used to prosecute him. In addition, he used his social media accounts to display his lavish shopping habits and shopping addiction.
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September 27, 2014
Neosho, MN
Facebook
19; 25; 25; 28
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Assault
A 19-year-old woman assaulted a 25-year-old woman after the victim posted nasty comments on a Facebook page. The 19-year-old and two friends, aged 25 and 28, set up the attack through Facebook.
|
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September 20, 2014
Paterson, NJ
Facebook
14; 15; 18
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Murder
A 14-year-old girl was shot and killed and her teen friend was severely injured by gang members. Before the shooting, the victims had received death threats from the shooters on Facebook.
|
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August 21, 2014
Muskegon, MI
Facebook
17; 19
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Murder
A 19-year-old man shot and killed a 17-year-old in the back as he walked into a store. Less than a week before the murder, the victim posted a taunting video to his Facebook page. In the video the victim walks through a store in rival gang territory saying "We in this ****! We in yo' store!."
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June 18, 2014
Sydney, Australia
Facebook
18; 21
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Murder
A 21-year-old man murdered a high school student after an argument in a pub continued on Facebook. The victim posted to his page "U think imma back DONW u gotta another thing coming," to which the shooter wrote "Hahaha. Come on **** come at me as hard as you can!!! You don't know wtf you are in for." The two men decided to meet up for a fight, where the victim was shot and killed.
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June 18, 2014
Melbourne, Australia
Facebook
23; 23
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Stabbing
Two former band mates reconnected using Facebook, only to get into an argument that eventually ended in one being stabbed. The two began to threaten and insult each other on Facebook, eventually agreeing on the social media site to meet up and fight in person. The attacker insulted the victim, writing on Facebook that the victim seemed like he was "defending and kissing conformist **** and **** for some reason" and saying that they needed to fight somewhere private so that "I can dispose of your body."
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June 7, 2014
Berkshire, England
Instagram
15; 15
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Stabbing
A 15-year-old girl stabbed a former friend of hers multiple times in the chest. The 15-year-old was angry that the victim had revealed gossip concerning a mutual friend in the comment section of an Instagram post.
|
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May 23, 2014
Isla Vista, CA
YouTube
22; 19; 19; 20; 20; 20; 22
|
Murder
A 22-year-old man shot and killed six people after posting his intent to kill women, whom he harbored hate towards for not going out with him, on YouTube and in an online manifesto. In a YouTube video posted the day before the shooting, the shooter ranted that his loneliness was all because "girls were not attracted to me." In the same video he said, "Tomorrow is the day of retribution. The day in which I will have my revenge against humanity, against all of you." In his 137-page manifesto, published online the day of the shooting, he writes that if the police were to search his house during a recent home visit prompted by his mother calling after disturbing YouTube videos, they would have found a collection of weapons and his plans would have been stopped.
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April 29, 2014
Benton Harbor, MI
Facebook
29; Ages Unknown
|
Stabbing
A 29-year-old woman stabbed two other women after the three of them had an argument on Facebook. Before the stabbing, the assailant posted a meme to her Facebook of two celebrities laughing with the caption, "Me & my **** when you & your ugly **** friend sneak dissin." The meme was meant to taunt the two women, which sparked the altercation.
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April 28, 2014
Chicago, IL
Facebook
14; 14
|
Murder
A 14-year-old girl was shot and killed by another 14-year-old girl after the two fought on Facebook over a boy. The assailant traveled to the victim's home with a .38 caliber handgun and fatally shot her.
|
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April 23, 2014
Jacksonville, FL
Facebook
35; 23
|
Shooting
A 35-year-old woman shot her 23-year-old pregnant friend, killing her unborn baby. The shooting started after the friend confronted the shooter in person about her rude comments concerning baby names she posted on Facebook.
|
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April 19, 2014
Chicago, IL
Facebook
16; 18; 23
|
Murder
A 23-year-old shot two young boys aged 16 and 18 in the head after an in person argument about a stolen cell phone cord extended onto Facebook.
|
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March 19, 2014
Guamúchil, Mexico
Facebook, Twitter
16; 16
|
Murder
A 16-year-old girl stabbed her former best friend, also 16, more than 65 times. The stabbing occurred after the victim posted revealing pictures of the assailant on Facebook, which she found to be "humiliating." The girl then threatened the victim over Twitter saying she was going to kill her, eventually traveling to her home to do so.
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March 19, 2014
Brooklyn, NY
Facebook
15; 39
|
Murder
A 15-year-old boy fatally shot and killed a 39-year-old bystander on a bus after he saw a rival gang member he had been feuding with on Facebook for weeks. The shooter had a history of posting pictures of himself with guns on social media and showcasing his affiliation with a local crew.
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January 1, 2014
New Orleans, LA
Instagram
20; 20
|
Shooting
A 20-year-old woman lured her ex-boyfriend to be shot by a 20-year-old man over a feud the two were having on Instagram. The two men had been insulting each other on the photo-sharing site, finally escalating to the shooting.
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* Disclaimer: Information for this database has been compiled from publicly available news sources. Every effort has been made to obtain the most accurate information, however, contradictions may exist between this database and other sources.
